LONDON, Ont - A dominant second half powered the Western Mustangs to their first win of the season with an 85-71 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Friday night at Alumni Hall
 
"We had a little bit better execution in the second, third, and fourth quarter and we made some shots," said Western head coach Brad Campbell. "We had five guys in double figures and when you get that kind of support we're going to put enough points on the board to win and we did today." 
 
First-year Mustang Jedson Tavernier led the team with 14 points in only his second OUA contest, while four other Western players also hit the double digit mark on Friday night. Among them was Quinn Henderson who finished with 13 points, including leading the purple and white long distance attack with a trio of three pointers. The senior also added two steals to join his tough defensive play to help lead the Mustangs to victory.
 
The Mustangs defence was tough from the start of the game. With their quick hustle and ability to keep an eye on the ball, the Mustangs were able to put off Gryphon shots until the last seconds of the shot clock. However, the first quarter ended with the Gryphons outscoring the Mustangs 28-24, which would be the only period that the Mustangs would be outscored in all night.
 
Trailing by only a few points for the first couple minutes of the second quarter, the Mustangs were able to match a majority of the shots made by the Gryphons to keep the score tight. Henderson continued to play strong making an impression on the court and the scoreboard, scoring eight points in the half. With the combined efforts of Henderson and Charlie Drouin, who racked in the team high three rebounds in the half, the Mustangs were able to take the lead with a three-point shot made by Cameron Morris midway through the second frame.
 
The purple and white increased their momentum, allowing them to stay in the lead or within a couple of points of the Gryphons within the last six minutes of the half. Guelph's Daniel Dooley topped the scoreboard with 10 points in the first half, eventually finishing with a game high 17 points. The Mustangs held their ground and Tom Filgiano was able to tie the score for the end of the half at 40-40.
 
With the two teams entering the second half even on the scoreboard, the stage was set for an exciting final 20 minutes of action.  After trading points throughout the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Mustangs began to pull ahead, with Steven Manojlovic sinking a three-pointer with 4:22 remaining in the third to kick off a 12-0 run and give the home side a lead they would never relinquish.
 
Despite the Gryphons continuing to pressure them in the fourth, the Mustangs maintained their tight defence and strong second half shooting that saw them hit connect on 50 percent of their field goal attempts to claim an 85-71 win.
 
"It's defending, rebounding, and execution. We're just going to be preaching that all season." Campbell said on the key factors that the team will focus this year.
 
The Mustangs have a four game road trip up next starting at the Mattamy Athletic Centre against the Ryerson Rams on Wednesday, November 12. Tip-off is 8 p.m and can be watched live on OUA.tv.